Efficacy of adjunctive injectable platelet-rich fibrin as a first-line treatment in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

This study was performed to compare the outcomes of adjunctive injections (injectable platelet-rich fibrin (iPRF), hyaluronic acid (HA)) and arthrocentesis only (AO) in the treatment of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis. The study included 127 female patients (mean age 52.3 years). None of them had undergone prior occlusal splint therapy. The pain reduction (visual analogue scale) at 12 months post-treatment was the primary outcome variable, while maximum inter-incisal opening (MIO) at all follow-ups and pain at 1 and 6 months of follow-up were secondary outcome variables. All treatment groups showed significant improvements in pain and MIO at all postoperative follow-ups compared to baseline (P < 0.001). iPRF and HA resulted in significantly better pain relief than AO at all follow-ups (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in pain alleviation between iPRF and HA. No differences were observed among the three groups in jaw mobility (MIO) at any follow-up. Since iPRF did not provide additional benefits over HA, the two treatments may be considered as alternatives, depending on cost considerations. Of note, the treatment objectives were achieved even without previous occlusal splint use.